scrawl

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“
At the end of this scrawl was a signature, one of the best known commercial names, which, in common with other financial houses, was struggling against a panic on the Bourse.

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Definitions (19)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. transitive verb To write hastily or illegibly.
  2. intransitive verb To write in a sprawling, irregular manner.
  3. noun Irregular, often illegible handwriting.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (9)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (4)

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Examples (50)

  • He recognized Dean Larraby's elegant scrawl, as distinctive as her ubiquitously disquieting choice of words summoning him immediately to her office. —  The Lesson of Her Death
  • He writes such a scrawl, as no one not used to it can read: but, luckily, we have got a man who has wrote in his office to decypher it. —  The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Vol. I
  • He looked in satisfaction at my scrawl, then turned back to his place. —  A Letter of Mary - Laurie R. King - Russell-Holmes 03
  • The writing was a feminine scrawl, the hand holding the pen clearly agitated. —  A Gentleman's Honor
  • Excuse this hasty scrawl, and believe me, my Lord, your Lordship's much obliged, very humble servant Walter SCOTT If January brought the writer of this letter "disappointment," there was abundant consolation in store for February, 1815. —  Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume V (of 10)
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Etymologies (6)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Perhaps from obsolete scrawl, to gesticulate, sprawl, from Middle English scrawlen, probably blend of sprawlen, to sprawl; see sprawl and craulen, to crawl; see crawl1.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (5)

  1. Early modern English also scraul, scroll; from Middle English scraulen, crawl; a form of crawl with intensive s prefixed: see crawl.
  2. from scrawl, v. In def. 2 perhaps suggested by trawl.
  3. Early modern English also scrall, a contr. form of scrabble, perhaps confused with scrawl.
  4. Early modern English also scrall; from scrawl, v.
  5. Prob. a contraction of *scraggle, diminutive of scrag.
 

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/skrɔl/
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